[NIFL-LD:3920] Re: Assessment Software for LDs/ foreign lang.

From: Susan Jones (sujones@parkland.edu)
Date: Mon Mar 04 2002 - 17:20:03 EST


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From: "Susan Jones" <sujones@parkland.edu>
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Subject: [NIFL-LD:3920] Re: Assessment Software for LDs/ foreign lang.
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I pretty much made that point on the phone, especially considering the general cost of software.  

I searched around and happily I could find some not-too-expensive software that claimed to assess things like study skills and learning style and, of course, math and reading and writing "skills," ... but *not* diagnostics of LDs.  

The live person stuff is what works.  

Susan Jones
Academic Development Specialist
Academic Development Center
Parkland College
Champaign, IL  61821
sujones@parkland.cc.il.us

>>> mlcarver@nslsilus.org 03/04/02 03:21PM >>>
Hi Susan-
Does your program use Multi-Sensory Language Learning techniques like Wilson or Orton/Gillingham or many others?  I also have an African LD female student who is at the beginning of the process and is doing quite well with it.

Jumping on my soapbox on your other question.  Throwing students on a computer for learning (not practice, but learning) is bad enough. Face-to-face assessment picks up a lot more of how a person really feels and deals with learning issues.  Our students get shoved around enough in the world, the least we can offer them is 60 minutes of face-to-face contact.  If there is such assessment software, I bet it would be "researched" and funded by a textbook company and tied to using their "curriculum".
My opinion is to keep adult learning relevant-individualize their plans after you work with them.  Computer assessment can't do that - as far as I know.

Humbly yours,
Mary Lynn Carver
Lake County Adult Learning Connection
Waukegan, IL  60085
mlcarver@nslsilus.org 

Susan Jones wrote:

> I just got a phone call from an administrator who's looking at grant possibilities. He is investigating the use of software for assessing the needs & nature of students with learning disabilities at the adult level (we're a community college).  Is there such an animal?  (I told him my experience with assessing students was all on a face-to-face basis.) If so, what companies make such software?
>
> Second question  
>
> A teacher came to me to ask for ideas and suggestions for a student she has who is struggling; she suspects this student, a recent immigrant from a country in Africa, has learning disabilities.  She often mispronounces words in English, moving consonants around and confusing vowels when either reading or speaking. Teacher suspects same thing happens in native language but, of course, wouldn't know. At any rate, this is making learning to write (and spell) tough on the lady   ideas? suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Susan Jones
> Academic Development Specialist
> Academic Development Center
> Parkland College
> Champaign, IL  61821
> sujones@parkland.cc.il.us 



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